'Go in with authority': Sen. Joni Ernst's advice to Trump on Powerhouse Politics

Washington DC -- As the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate, Joni Ernst told ABC's Powerhouse Politics podcast that she has some advice for President Donald Trump as he heads to his summit with Kim Jong Un Singapore.

“Let's lay out the ground rules. Let's talk about the issues. I don't think that necessarily we will see an ultimate solution coming out of this first summit, but it's absolutely going in with authority," Ernst told host and Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl. "Go in from a position of strength. Let them know what our expectations are.”

Ernst toured South Korea with a congressional delegation in February and was briefed on the North Korea threat. She also serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Iowa Republican doesn’t trust North Korea, and believes isolating Kim Jong Un economically has been effective. “I do believe those sanctions have brought him to the negotiating table.”

She added, “I think that we have to press hard, and that there should not be a reward. We shouldn't reward bad behavior. I think we continue pressing on, and make sure that we are seeing our goals and objectives met before we yield to any demands coming from North Korea.”